Imagine turning up to play your chosen sport every week - tennis, golf, football - it matters not - knowing that barring a miracle you are going to get beaten. How long do you think you could put up with the frustration? A month, a year? How about over three years?
Between March 2006 and October 2009, Grantham Hockey Club Men's 1st XI went 1,309 days - 63 matches - without a league victory.
With the odds, the weather and even their location stacked against them, this is the true story of how a dreary Lincolnshire market town's hockey team went from being at the bottom of a very big pile to making local headlines and even (allegedly) appearing in the News of the World.
From broken ankles and damaged ligaments to battling the elements, their location and underlying social issues, this book details a remarkable period in a small club's history, reliving Grantham's journey from despair and misery to league success and a future as bright as the red shirts in which they play.
John Pennington first played for Grantham in 2007, was club chairman between 2009 and 2011 and has been on the club's committee since 2008. An experienced sports journalist, this is his third book.
Praise for 1,309 Days Later:
"Another entertaining read from John! It made me laugh a few times and I will be telling all hockey cub members to read it!" - Oli
"Anyone at the club who doesn't read this is missing out, and I would recommend it to anyone interested in sports in general. Forget Dodgeball, this is a TRUE underdog story!!" - Alex
From reviews of John Pennington's previous titles:
"...some funny moments and keeps you wanting to read from start to finish..." - Damien
"Finished reading it the other day - enjoyed it muchly!" - David
"...just read Return to the Crease, good to know amateur cricket is the same all over!! Keep it up John (writing, not cricket!)" - Matthew
About the Author: John Pennington is an experienced sports journalist. He lives in Grantham and this is his third book. A keen hockey player, prior to 'signing' for Grantham, he played for Minehead, Warwick University and Berkswell & Balsall Common. His previous cricket books, 546 Runs Were Enough, Weren't They? and Return To The Crease document the 2009 Ashes series and his own attempt to play club cricket respectively. You can follow him on Twitter @jspennington and his website is jspennington.com
